Author's note: Well, here I am. This story is a little sequel to "Monday's Girl" and "Not anymore". Last part of the saga. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own UB or any characters affiliated with its production. Any real living people mentioned in this fic are portrayed with creative licence. The song in the chapter is "Can you feel the love tonight" by Elton John.

###

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

The world for once

In perfect harmony

With all his living things

###

The May sun lit up the sky and a pleasant warmth spread to the limbs of a man.

He must have been beautiful in his youth and was still looking elegant. His eyes roamed the porch in search of his relatives.

Finally he saw a girl.

The long light brown hair falling in soft waves and the bright eyes of who had just received a welcome visit materialized in the person of his niece. She looked so much like her mother.

Daniel saw in her the same woman that twenty years ago made him promise.

"Uncle Danny!"

Kitty reached him and hugged her uncle with all her strength.

"Hi, Kitty. You've grown so much."

"A year has passed since the last time. Why do you stay in London yet?"

"Kitty…"

"No matter, we're happy to have you here."

Daniel Meade closed his eyes, blinded by too much sun. Then he focused on the youngest member of their dynasty.

"Is everything OK?"

Kitty had always been his favourite.

###

He suddenly noticed that Kitty was not bringing him in the direction of the house but in the woods.

"Kitty, but…"

"We must recover Mum. It seems she's lost."

"Oh God, horses again?"

Daniel put his hand over his face, shaking his head.

When that woman would have understood that it wasn't really the case?

When Daniel and Kitty saw her alive on the horse they felt relieved.

She smiled, amused.

"Hi, Daniel!"

"Oh, God. Is everything OK?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not a kid anymore, Daniel."

Daniel glanced at her, chuckling.

"So, are you finally able to go down?"

Amanda flushed and he got his answer.

"Can you help me?"

"Seriously, you don't deserve."

"Oh come on. I've broken my legs just two or three times."

"Ten times."

"In a lifetime. You're boring."

"And you're awfully irresponsible, as always."

When she went down, almost falling in Daniel's arms, she smiled and looked at her youngest daughter.

"Dear, is the dinner ready?"

"No, we're waiting for aunt Betty and uncle Marc."

"Good. So we've time. Kitty, can you wait for them in the manor? Uncle Daniel and I are gonna have a little chat."

She looked at Daniel and smiled.

"He has interesting news, as he wrote."

###

Kitty was arranging the table when her brother and her sister arrived. Ryan was with his wife and Fey with her boyfriend; she seemed to be the only alone.

"Hi, sis!"

Fey hugged her and Jack did the same. They were both smiling.

Ryan and Taylor followed them; they were looking lovingly at each other. Taylor had an enormous belly and was clearly pregnant.

"Hello Sis, is Mum okay?"

"Yeah, she's in the woods with uncle Danny. The other guests are coming."

"In the woods?"

Ryan frowned instantly. Kitty didn't understand why.

"So, we've great news!"

"I and Jack too."

"Shouldn't we wait for mum?" mumbled a bored Kitty, litting a candle for hiding her tedium.

"Taylor is seven months pregnant!"

Taylor Reeser, Ryan's wife, snorted with an annoyed air.

"Oh God man, you just can't wait. Plus, you know, it was obvious."

Fey waited for a while and then exploded jumping like a bunny.

"We're engaged!"

And showed the diamond ring, almost bursting with joy.

"What a surprise!"

Taylor shouted and hugged her new sister-in-law tightly.

"So, Kitty, what about you?"

"Nothing new, for now. I've started working at Mode with uncle Marc."

"Nothing new? That's a big news!"

Kitty smiled, happy because of that little part of the general attention.

"So you're taking Mum's place?"

"She was a little too tired lately, you know."

"What about her and uncle Daniel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please, they were alone in the woods."

"He's our uncle, don't be so suspicious."

"God, Dad died just five years ago and she…"

"Ryan!"

Kitty looked at him angrily.

"Damn it, stop you. We're here for Christmas or for a process?"

Kitty looked at the ground, almost crying.

"We're a family, it's Christmas time. Stop acting like an idiot."

"Kitty… Ehi, wait, Sis…"

It was too late.

An atmosphere of frost had descended on the house.

###

"You announced big news, come on!"

Daniel was silent, almost embarrassed.

"I'm coming back to New York."

Amanda widened her eyes, shocked.

"You're doing what?"

"It's just, you know… I feel like my time is over."

"Over? Oh come on Daniel Meade!"

But Molly and Tyler's shadows were there.

"I know what you mean. All my children are leaving the house, and sooner or later I'll stay alone… I have just to accept it."

"You'll never be alone, they love you much."

"I don't know… They're all so busy, now. They think I don't know that Fey and Jack are engaged, oh, and Taylor is pregnant."

"Your first nephew! Congratulations! The name could be… David, yeah, David is nice."

"Why the baby has to be a male?"

"Because men are great."

"Women too."

"Okay, okay, now it's too much like battle of the sexes."

Amanda chuckled and hit jokingly his shoulder.

"You're right. Anyway Ryan lives with Taylor's parents in California, so I won't play a great role in my nephew's life."

"Are you kidding? Have you ever heard about, I don't' know, airplanes?"

"Of course I did, you idiot."

"So?"

"So, it won't be the same."

"I guess it's true."

The air was starting to get cold. Amanda sat on the fence, looking at him with an amused glance.

"Stop talking about me. Talk about you. How's Gabrielle?"

"Gabrielle… Who?"

"Gabrielle Jones, that nice Betty's employee…"

"Uh, I vaguely remember someone called Gabrielle…"

"You're irrecoverable."

"Have I to talk about horses again?"

Amanda flushed and bowed her head.

"Touché. So, none in sight?"

Daniel leaned against the fence. He seemed deeply absorbed.

"None, after Betty."

"Is something happened with the little poncho girl?"

"I said you, she refused me in London."

"Why?"

Daniel widened his eyes, surprised.

"Uhm, why… Because I haven't fought enough. We were close, much close, things were good, but when Matt came back I left her go, because… Simply because she was in love with him. I regretted this, but the damage was done. After her, I haven't found someone to live for with all myself, and sometimes I think I had to fight much more."

Amanda, swaying on the fence, turned to him a strange look.

"Oh, it's not strange. I perfectly understand."

And they both knew she was back to Sofia's times.

"But you haven't said why you're leaving London. A trouble with a woman?"

Daniel chuckled.

"No, no. I suddenly realized mine place wasn't there anymore. I haven't kept my promise."

"Don't be so silly, you did. All my children love you, especially Kitty. "

"Except Ryan."

"You know he idolized his father, he felt your presence like an intrusion."

"Luckily he lives in California, or someday he could put a little of cyanide in my soup. He has his ridiculous ideas…"

Amanda almost fell from the fence and Daniel picked her, chuckling.

"Falling is your own rule lately, uhm?"

"Sorry, sorry…"

He put an hand on her shoulder, smiling.

"So, what about if I sta…"

"Oh!"

A little unfulfilled Daniel tried to understand what Amanda had seen.

"What happened?"

###

Kitty was sitting on the sofa when Ryan approached.

"Kitty… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know you love uncle Daniel, don't act like a…"

"I said it's okay. I'm arranging the holly."

When Betty entered in the room and saw the holly a vice of nostalgia and regret squeezed her heart. Kitty put an hand on her shoulder kindly.

" Aunt Betty, are you OK?"

"Yeah."

Betty settled the glasses on her nose and sighed, seeing Charlie pregnant again.

She closed her eyes and the imagine was gone.

"Are you sure?"

"It's fine."

Betty smiled with little conviction.

"Everything is always fine."

After Matt's death she had often thought about Henry.

Maybe she could call him.

He'd be surprised, but probably nicely surprised.

When Betty saw Henry's number a pang of panic blocked her, but she suddenly shook her head.

"Come on Betty, you're not a child anymore."

When she heard Henry's voice she smiled broadly.

"Henry? It's Betty. I'm calling because… We could meet, you know, after Christmas holidays…"

###

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

The world for once

In perfect harmony

With all his living things

###

Daniel was suddenly aware of what had changed.

Not much for the wrinkles that had begun to ply their faces, no.

It was about their eyes, no longer energetic like in their youth.

At that moment a big polished car parked next the gate.

Amanda's face brightened when she recognized Troy's car.

"Marc!"

Amanda climbed immediately the fence and ran into the arms of a smiling Marc.

"We've found traffic, Mandy, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Hi, Troy!"

Troy smiled and reached them.

"So, how are you?"

"It's fine. You know what? Daniel's coming back to NY."

"Oh, really?"

Marc approached Amanda and chuckled.

"Problems with an angry ex, uhm?"

"I've heard you Marc, and I remember you I own my share of the Meade Empire, so I can totally fire you, do you know?"

"Oh come on Daniel, I was sure too and you didn't get angry."

"I'm not angry!"

"You totally are!"

Marc was not that much surprised too see Daniel walking alongside Amanda or to note those looks and smiles between them.

The loving, gentle touch of Daniel's hand on Amanda's shoulder made him think.

Probably they didn't know yet.

###

I can see what's happening

And they don't have a clue…

###